A Better Start
by luvlifelots
Summary: What if Voldemort had not killed Lily and James Potter that fateful Halloween night? Would Harry's life be different? How would his life be affected? Friendships, love, and magic are all affected in this version of the Harry Potter series.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Lily's Announcement**

Lily was in heaven. She had actually married him. She had married James Potter. In most of her school life, she had thought him a rude, inconsiderate, egotistical prat, but now, as she stood in the kitchen of Potter Manor, watching her husband of five months as he dropped the frying pan onto the marble floors, she smiled and moved to help him clean up the mess.

"James, James, James," She sighed, "You really need to leave the cooking to me or to Milly." She told him, referring to their female house elf, one of three.

He wrinkled his nose as he picked up a piece of back off of the floor. "Yeah, well, I wanted to do something nice, and besides, Rooky and Jenny can cook too, Lils." He stated matter-of-factly, referring to Milly's house-elf husband and daughter.

Lily rolled her almond-shaped, light green eyes. "I know that, Jamie."

They finished cleaning the mess in comfortable silence, as they so often did, just basking in the warm presence of the other. It was something that they felt married couples did, which they liked to remind themselves off, smiling like fools when they looked at each other.

They heard the telltale sounds of someone flooing into the huge manor, and neither Lily nor James panicked, knowing that they had full control over whom entered the manor through floo, apparation or any other means of wizard transportation.

The pair smiled when James's best mate from as young as before Hogwarts walked into the kitchen, his swagger in tow, his dark locks of hair bouncing, his typical devil-may-care grin plastered on his handsome face, Sirius Black.

He flipped a chair backwards before sitting on it, straddling it. "What's up, James, Lil-Bill?"

Lily rolled her eyes at the old nickname, which Sirius had called her for as long as she could remember. James laughed at her facial expression, wrapping his arm around her waist. "It's alright, Lils, Sirius still loves you."

She pursed her lips and wriggled from James's arm to pull glasses from the cupboards, setting one in front of Sirius and the other in front of James, who had also taken a seat. She grabbed the juice from the fridge and poured both men some, knowing it was their favorite, one of the many things they had in common.

Sirius grinned. "Yeah, Lil-Bill, when are you gonna leave Prongs over here and come be with me? We could totally run away to Tibet!"

She rolled her eyes for the third time in ten minutes, plopping down into James's lap. "Yeah, right. Where are Remus and Peter?"

Sirius shrugged. "I dunno. Probably out somewhere, the moon isn't full, so Moony's probably still out with that guy, talking about that job opening. Wormtail is… gosh, I don't know. At his mom's, maybe."

Lily nodded. "Well, why don't you go find Peter? I have to talk to James alone for a little while."

She felt bad kicking him out, but she had discovered something that day, and she was anxious to tell her husband. A small bit of guilt swam in her stomach when Sirius downed his juice, sighed, and stood up, gently kissing her cheek and smiling, saying, "See ya, Lil-Bill, Prongs!"

The two of them heard his floo out, and Lily turned to her husband. "So, Jamie."

He kissed her softly. "So, Lils."

She giggled. "Jamie, I have to tell you something."

He cocked his head at her. "What's up, Lils?"

She took a deep breath. _Now or never, Lily_ she reminded herself. "I got sick at work today, so I went to St. Mungos for a quick examination. I got some good news back."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Spit it out! Honestly, Lils."

She laughed. "I'm pregnant, Jamie."

His jaw went slack.

She waited a minute before gently slapping his cheek. "Jamie? Jamie? Jamie! James!"

Suddenly, he lifted her off of his lap, standing and swinging her around in the air. "Lily! This is fantastic news! I'm going to be a dad! Oh, Merlin! Are you hungry? Are you tired? Are you uncomfortable? Are you nervous? Are you thirsty? Are you-?"

"James! Shut up!" Lily cut him off. "I'm fine."

He grinned and set her down, kissing her. "I'm going to be a dad." He stated.

She laughed. "Yes, you are."

Three months later, when Lily was four months into her pregnancy, she and James gathered the marauders into their kitchen to tell them the wonderful news, and ask Sirius a very important question.

Sirius took a slice of chocolate pie that sat on the table, one that Jenny and Milly had made earlier. He grinned and pulled a chair out from where James was preparing to sit on it. He looked down at his best mate, laughter twinkling in his eyes. "All good down there, Prongs?"

Remus and Peter laughed along with Sirius as Lily bent down to help her husband up. She couldn't help a few giggle herself, and James glared at her before leaning down to kiss her. "Git," He addressed Sirius before pulling out a second chair for Lily, then, looking cautiously at Sirius, sat on a chair himself.

Remus grinned, his dark gold eyes twinkling. "What's this amazing news you have to tell us, Prongs?"

Peter smiled. "Yeah, James, we're all excited. What is it?"

Lily smiled, taking James's hand. "Well, James and I are going to be parents." She announced.

"And I'm going to be a dad!" James interrupted.

"Because we're having a baby." Lily finished.

She looked carefully towards the marauders. Sirius looked shocked, Remus had a huge grin on his face, and Peter looked, well, Peter looked worried. That confused her a little, but she forgot about it when Sirius lifted her off of her chair, swinging her around as she laughed.

When he set her down, Remus did the same thing, as she shrieked, laughter in her green eyes. When she was passed onto Peter, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then passed her off to James, who wrapped his arm around her waist and grinned.

She nudged him in the ribs and he started. "Right! Well… er…. I mean, Padfoot, see I've known you for longer than I've known Moony or Wormtail, and I mean…. You're my best mate, not that Remus and Peter aren't my best mates, but you're, you're, like… my bestest best mate, and so I thought, maybe, I mean… well… er…."

Lily rolled her eyes and huffed in exasperation. "For Merlin's sake, James! Sirius, we would be honored if you would take on the role of Godfather for our first baby?"

Sirius looked up. "I…. really?"

James and Lily both nodded. "Yes." Lily said.

Sirius nodded, his statuary grin spreading across his face. "I would be honored."

All five of them, everyone in the room, smiled hugely. James clapped his hands together. "Well, now that we've made our announcement and that Padfoot here has eaten the entire chocolate pie, why don't we see what Jenny made for dinner?"

All three of their guests nodded, and, laughter and joy in the air, the small group called for Milly and Jenny, and dug in when the delicious dinner of salad and bread was revealed.

 **Seven Months Later:**

Lily was now just about nine months pregnant, and was at her wits end with everything. The stress, the worry, James's sarcastic comments, and everything else in the world, whether it be the wizarding or the muggle version.

Her magic had become distorted the week before, thrown off because of her pregnancy. She was tired all the time, she was always uncomfortable and bloated, and she felt like a whale. Her back hurt, she could barely stand, and she had been confined to the couch or her and James's bed.

She heard the unmistakable sounds of the floo being used, and turned to see her handsome husband walking into the room. She wanted to get up and hug him, but her child was not a fan of moving around, unless it was kicking its mother in the ribs.

Instead, James moved to hug Lily, kissing her cheek, just as she felt the odd tensing in her stomach. She pressed both hands against it, knowing that this was not the first time it happened.

James looked at her, concern filling his hazel eyes. "What's the matter, Lils?"

She shook her head, waiting out the two-minute pains. "I think, I might be going into labour." She told him.

His eyes widened. "Oh, oh, Merlin, we have to get you to St. Mungos."

She giggled at his automatic reaction. "Not yet, we can wait a while-"

Lily's voice was cut off by the gush of liquid that came from between her legs, the tell-tale sign that in a few painful, horrific hours (on Lily's part) they could meet their child.

Immediately, James picked her up and side-apparated her to St. Mungos. They were quickly brought to the maternity ward and Doctor Abagail walked into the room.

Lily knew that this was going to hurt, but she was not prepared for the endless hours of contractions. She called James everything she could think of, yelled at him for things he didn't deserve, and squeezed his hand so hard it hurt.

After a particulary painful contraction, Lily looked down at James, who was whining.

"Ow. Lils, I think you might have broken my finger." He complained.

Her green eyes flared. "You think that hurt, James?" She asked. "Well, guess what? I've been trying to have a bloody person here, so if you could keep the useless complaints to yourself, that would be wonderful!" She yelled as the next contraction hit.

With Lily's temper, James knew better than to argue.

After the seven most painful hours of Lily's life, a small red baby was born, and its first cries echoed into the world as Lily sighed in relief. The baby was quickly cleaned, swaddled, and given to its mother.

As Lily looked down into the soft green blanket, she was delighted to see a baby boy peeking back at her, his green eyes almond-shaped and bright as her own. HE already had the unfortunate black rat's nest James called hair.

As James too looked into the blanket, Lily reveled in the fact that this day, July 31, 1980, she Lily Potter, had become mother to the perfect little boy that was her son.

She looked up at James and he, like her, had tears in his eyes. "What should we name him?" Lily asked softly.

James smiled. "I was thinking . . . Harold, like your father."

Lily felt a few tears fall from her eyes. "I would love that. Thank you, James. For letting me honour Daddy. Harry. I want that. Harry James Potter." She declared.

James nodded, and gently kissed his wife's temple, and then his son's forehead, as Lily began the rest of her life.


	2. Chapter 2: The Prophecy

A/N: So, I do in fact realize that I made a mistake in Lily's pregnancy timing. In Chapter 1, it says Lily is four months pregnant when she and James tell the marauders, but she should actually only be about 1 month pregnant, as I meant for them to tell the marauders only a few days later, something in my laptop combined another story and this one wrongly, so I apologize. Thanks,

~luvlifelots

A/N 2: Wow! I am amazed! Three follows, and two favorites in six hours! This is amazing, wonderful, awesome, and any other adjecticves that I can't think of right now because my brain is on overload. I'm going to try to update every one-two days, but no promises. Sorry about that. But thank you guys so much. You're all amazing!

~luvlifelots

 **2\. The Prophecy:**

Lily cradled her one-month old son as he slept. After admiring his sweet, slumbering face for way too long, she placed him into his deep brown wooden crib, gently stroking his little hand before closing the door.

She nearly walked straight into James when making her way downstairs. Both stopped themselves in time, and, laughing, Lily walked to the kitchen, James following behind her.

The small family of three, as well as their house elves, lived in the infamous Potter Manor. It was huge, with five levels and many, many other rooms, whether it be kitchens, common rooms, playrooms, offices, craft rooms, and anything else anyone could think of.

The outdoor aspect of the Manor had a quidditch pitch, a huge pool, a lake, a hot tub, a children's muggle playground and a small house for the house elves. The whole estate was large, secluded and beautiful.

Lily took veggies out of the fridge to start the salad. It was only noon, and James's last day off of work before going back to being an auror. Her husband sat down at the table as Lily tossed the veggies and poured raspberry vinaigrette-both their favorites-all over the salad before serving it.

As they ate, they talked about their lives, their son, their friends, everything they could. It was only at the end of lunch that they heard someone calling their names from the fire in the floo of the common room.

Both rushed in, and found the face of Dumbledore in the fire, waiting patiently for them, his flaming half-moon spectacles perched on his fiery nose.

Lily knelt down. "Dumbledore." She addressed. "To what do we owe this honor?" She questioned.

Dumbledore smiled, but Lily could, even while he was in the fire, see the worrisome lines etched into the sides of his mouth. "Lily, James, I must call you to Hogwarts immediately. If you could, and bring your young son, please." He requested.

And then he was gone.

James looked cautiously at Lily. "Lils . . . It's Dumbledore. We have to go." He told her.

Lily nodded. "I'll get Harry ready."

When she had Harry in the black pram they had bought, covered in blankets with many toys, Lily and James flooed to Hogwarts, straight into Dumbledore's office.

The old professor saw them, but there was no smiles on his face. "Hello, James, Lily."

Lily pulled her son from the pram, cradling him to her chest. "What's going on, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore sighed, his blue eyes losing their sparkle with each word. "Lily, I'm afraid a prophecy has been made."

James tightened his arm around Lily's thin waist. "Tell us, Dumbledore. Please."

Dumbledore nodded sadly, and then he began to speak the prophecy, which chilled the Potters to the bone.

 _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..._

 _Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..._

 _And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..._

 _And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..._

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

When Dumbledore finished, Lily, shaken and horrified, held her son closer as James pulled his family nearer. "What does that mean?" He asked, cradling his wife to his chest.

Dumbledore closed his eyes, then opened them, the blue in them seemingly turning dull. "It means, that the one who can kill Voldemort has been born, just as the seventh month died. Voldemort has marked him as an equal, and this child must destroy Voldemort, or Voldemort will destroy him." Dumbledore explained.

Lily, ever logical, pulled slightly away from James, putting the pieces together. "So. . . Harry." She stated, her voice breaking.

James pulled her close again, as Dumbledore held up an age-weathered finger. "Not exactly. There was another male child born as July of nineteen-eighty left us."

James looked up from his wife and son. "The Longbottoms. Alice and Frank, their son, Neville." He realized.

Dumbledore nodded.

Lily looked at the man who had been her professor for so many years. "Which boy will Voldemort choose?" She asked, silently praying the answer would be neither.

Dumbledore had a tear shining in his eye. "He has chosen the boy like himself; Harry."

Lily shrieked and James pulled her to him as she began crying. James asked, tears in his own eyes, "What can we do?"

"You will need to use the Fidelius charm." He revealed. "You will need a secret keeper and a secure, unknown location. I have already searched this, and I would suggest using the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow." Dumbledore suggested.

James nodded. "Of course. Perfect. Sirius can be secret keeper," James decided, as Lily was still crying into his chest.

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course, James. I have a spell you can use to get everything to the Cottage and I will contact Sirius for you. Would you like anyone else there?" He asked.

James nodded. "Remus and Peter, please."

Dumbledore nodded again. "Absolutely. Good luck, James. You too, Lily, and young Harry."

It took James and Lily ten minutes to settle everything into the Cottage. It was small, but plenty big enough for James, Lily and Harry. Sirius, Remus and Peter came soon after.

"What's going on?" Remus asked, taking a seat at the new table.

As Lily cried, James explained. Harry was asleep upstairs. After James got through the whole thing, his best mates were shocked.

Sirius looked taken aback. "I don't think you should use me." He admitted.

Lily wiped her tears. "Why not Sirius?"

He shrugged. "I'm the obvious option. Old Voldy will know you chose me. I say we use. . . Peter." He suggested.

Peter's eyebrows rose. "Me? Really? Oh, oh boy."

Remus nodded. "It's perfect. No one will suspect Peter. After Sirius would be me, not Peter. That's brilliant, Padfoot!"

Lily and James deliberated with the idea. They didn't like putting Remus and Sirius in unnecessary danger, but they really had no choice, so the pair, as well as Peter, stood together as Sirius and Remus performed the charm.

It was fast, and everyone was quite confused on where they were. James looked to Peter curiously. "Did it work, Wormtail?"

Peter shrugged. "Where are you four right now?"

Everyone shrugged.

Peter grinned. "It did. We're at the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow." He told his friends.

All four nodded, and as they moved back to the kitchen, James prayed above all that he could, for their sake, keep his wife and son, the two he loved most in any world, safe.

A/N 3: Hey everyone, I apologize for the shortness of the chapters. Just remember that this is pretty much just the warm-up to the real story, which will probably be quite long, as I have quite the passion for writing. I just really wanted to get another chapter out there today. I'm not going to pester for reviews, or favorites, or follows, I just want to thank **ANightingaleSanginBerkley, kaykay25, takoda40, ChelleLovesHP, and michelle.** for the favorites, follows and PM's. Thanks everyone. Until next time,

~luvlifelots


	3. Chapter 3: The Boy Who Lived

A/N: Hey everyone! This this will be quite a short chapter, and it will be quite boring, so I apologize. Anyways, I'll quit rambling, because I have the tendency to do that. Thanks, and please enjoy,

~luvlifelots

 **Chapter 3: The Boy Who Lived:**

It was a quiet night in Godric's Hollow, the evening of October 31, 1981. Lily grinned as her son pulled on her red hair back and yawned hugely.

He was over a year old, and her pride and joy. She loved him as much as she loved James, but in very different ways. The way a mother loves her son. The way a mother loves her baby boy.

She gently placed him in the crib and smiled down at him as his eyes, green as her own, closed. She gently closed the door, and grinned when she noticed James in their bedroom.

She sat down on the bed. He was immediately alerted to her presence and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hello, love."

She leaned into him. "Jamie, I have to tell you something."

He looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

She gently placed his hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

His jaw went slack, for the second time. "You-really?"

She nodded softly.

He shook his head, then again, and then picked her up and swung her around the room. "Lily, this is wonderful!"

She giggled as he put her down. "I know. Now, Jamie, I have a suggestion."

"What is it?" He asked, still beaming from the prior news.

She sighed, knowing that what she said next would be a challenge. "Jamie, I want Severus to be the Godfather." She requested.

Predictably, James was shocked. "Wow. Um . . . I dunno, Lils."

She tugged his arm playfully. "I'm fully aware you two had your differences, but he and I are quite close, and I really think he should be." Lily whined.

James sighed and ran his hands through his dark hair. "I . . . sure. Severus can be Godfather, as long as Alice Longbottom, your best friend, can be Godmother."

Lily's features lit up. "Oh yes! Please, Jamie!"

He nodded and kissed her softly. "I love you, Lily Potter." He told her.

She grinned against his lips and muttered, "I love you too, James Potter."

They both leaned to deepen the kiss, but before they could, a loud bang sounded from outside the door. James hurried to the door. "Shit, Lily! He found us! Take Harry and go! Now!"

Worry covered her face as her breathing became heavier. "I can't, Jamie, I love you!"

James nodded and pressed one last, chaste, hurried kiss to her lips. "I love you too, Lily, you, Harry, and our new baby!"

And then he was gone, as Lily ran into Harry's nursey, swaddling him in blankets and holding him close, rocking him, as sounds of battle waged below.

 **J** ames looked back many times as the one he feared most walked through the doors of the Cottage; Voldemort.

James held his wand high. "How did you find us?" He asked, staring into the blood-red irises.

Voldemort cackled. It was a sound that shook the Cottage. "I have my intel."

James stepped in his path. "Don't move." He said forcefully.

Voldemort rolled his red eyes. "Move." He hissed.

James shook his head. Voldemort fumed, and shot a stunning spell to James's head. He fell hard.

Just as Voldemort began to walk up the stairs, a small redhead bounded down them, a baby cradled against her chest. She knelt next to James, looking fearfully at Voldemort.

Voldemort grinned coldly. "Move aside, you silly girl."

Lily held Harry closer. "No, not Harry, please, please." She pleaded.

Voldemort stepped closer. "All I need is the child. Move aside." He ordered.

Lily shook her head, and Voldemort snapped. He held up his wand, pointed straight at Harry's small forehead, as he yelled the incantation, the power shaking the Cottage.

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_

Bright green light filled not only the room, but the Cottage as well, as the insane amount of power engulfed all four of the people in the room, so powerful that it broke the house to crumbles, all of it collapsing as Lily lost her vision, the weight of Harry in her arms reassuring her as she took James's hand in the brightness and side-apparated her husband and son the first place she thought of.

 **A** lice Longbottom was woken by the loud crack of apparation in the middle of the night. Confused, and worried, she shook Frank awake and, after drawing their wands and simultaneously whispering _"lumos"_ the pair walked, barefoot, into the living room, after checking on Neville.

Alice was shocked. There, in the middle of her living room floor, was her best friend and her family.

After Frank turned on the light, Alice knelt by Lily's side. She was laying on the ground, her breathing shallow. On her chest, awake and crying, lay baby Harry, a lightning-shaped scar still bleeding over his small right eyebrow.

Lily slowly sat up, and greedily gulped down the water Frank offered her, before holding Harry to her as she sobbed, looking between her son and her husband.

Alice pulled her best friend in for a tight hug, and soon Lily pulled away to explain everything, as Frank went to work healing the slight head injury James had acquired.

Lily gulped. "He . . . Voldemort found us. He stunned James and then . . . and then, this huge green light came, and I couldn't see, and the Cottage fell apart, and then I side-apparated Harry and James here." She explained choppily.

Alice sighed and hugged Lily again, then helped her clean Harry's scar. Soon enough, James sat up and pulled his family close. "Lily, Merlin, Lily. Harry. Oh, you two are alright." His breathing was shallow and his tone was disbelieving.

Lily shook her head and tears fell. "We're okay, Jamie. We're okay."

Frank sighed. "We best call in Dumbledore."

Alice nodded. "I'll get Neville, and set up a few extra rooms for you three," She said, addressing the Potters. "We'll have Dumbledore here soon." She promised, before standing and leaving the room.

A/N 2: Hey everyone! Again, short chapter, but it was quite unlike the book, no? Anyways, I don't want to pester, but if I could hear your guys' thoughts on the story, that would be absolutely wonderful. Also, if you were wondering, yes, J.K. Rowling has stated that Lily was pregnant and had convinced James to let Snape be the Godfather before she died. Oh! Also, if anyone has tried to PM me, I apologize, but my PM isn't working, and I don't know why. I want to have it fixed soon, though. Again, if I could hear your thoughts, I would love it. Thanks, as always, to **ANightingaleSanginBerkley, kaykay25, takoda40, michelle. , ChelleLovesHP,** and our new family members **RabiaSO712,** and **Lule de Zodiak.** Thanks so much everyone, I love you all!

~luvlifelots


	4. Chapter 4: Aftermaths

A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I would just like to say thank you so much to everyone, seeing as I now have three favorites and six follows, which delights me to no end. Only 23 hours on the interwebs, and I have people actually reading it, which is more than I can say for my other fic, which had one review, so I deleted it. Anyways, this chapter will most likely be short, but it's more of a filler chapter for what is yet to come. And yes, the Dursleys will be involved. Alright, thanks, and onto chapter four!

~luvlifelots

 **Chapter 4: Aftermaths:**

Lily sat on the floor in Alice and Frank's living room, gently cleaning Harry's odd new scar. It was shaped like lightning, and large, just over his right eyebrow. His mother gently wiped it with a cloth as the baby boy, exhausted, slept on.

James sat next to her, looking up at where Alice, Frank, baby Neville, and Dumbledore stood. Dumbledore's eyes were curious, with a spark of caution in the endless depths of bright blue. Alice and Frank were close together, Neville cuddled towards them.

James helped his wife to get her shaky feet, then led her to a couch, where Alice sat down next to her, talking in a low voice while Neville whined in his mother's arms, evidently waking Harry up, as the two began to babble in fifteen-month old baby language.

Frank leaned in towards Dumbledore and James. "What happened? Exactly?"

Sitting down at a smaller table in the corner, the three wizards discussed what had happened. In full detail, and with what Lily had said, Dumbledore, Frank, and James came to a conclusion, just as Dumbledore dropped the bomb.

Sighing, he said, "Voldemort is gone."

James and Frank recoiled from shock. "What?" Asked James, just as Frank said "How?"

Dumbledore nodded, seemingly to himself. "Voldemort is gone. The Death Eaters, his followers, are in disarray. We believe that Voldemort's killing curse towards Harry rebounded, for some unknown reason, and banished Voldemort's soul from the earth." Dumbledore explained.

James looked slightly guilty. "I think I know why the killing curse rebounded."

Frank looked cautious, ignoring his friend. "Are we sure he's gone?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Quite sure. James, why did the curse rebound?"

James bit his lip. "Since we moved in Godric's Hollow, I've been putting protective spells around Harry and Lily, using the love that I feel for them. I didn't realize that Lily had been doing the same thing, but only on Harry. Harry has had a shield of love and protection around him for the past fourteen months." James confessed.

Dumbledore's eyebrows raised, and Frank leaned back in his chair. "Well, that would certainly explain a lot." Frank said.

Dumbledore nodded. "It's time for me to go. I will see you soon, Frank, James. Please stay here, it is quite safe for you." He addressed James.

Silently, James nodded.

Dumbledore then walked into the flames, and then he was gone.

Lily and Alice, along with the babies, walked towards their husbands. When James wrapped his arm over Lily's waist, it was only then that he remembered.

"Lily!" He yelled, "The baby!"

Lily's green eyes widened as she realized that the baby she was carrying could be injured or even . . . could it be? Dead?

Ignoring Dumbledore's instructions, James and Lily, carrying Harry, immediately leapt up and flooed to St. Mungos. There, they were soon brought to a check-up room.

They were both surprised to see Dr. Abigail, the woman who had been Harry's midwife, standing in the room.

She smiled. "Ah, Lily, James. How are you? What do you need?"

James and Lily exchanged looks. No, news of Voldemort's attack had not yet reached the hospital.

Lily placed a shaking hand on her stomach. "Dr. Abigail, I really need you to check on the baby. I . . . uh . . . I fell." She lied.

The doctor nodded. "Of course."

Using her wand, she mumbled the proper incantation, and a large blue bubble, almost like a viewing glass, popped up, showing a tiny, tiny, almost unrecgonizable blob that was Lily and James's eyes.

"Hmm." Dr. Abigail muttered. "Little small, but you're only . . . what? Six weeks?"

Lily nodded.

Dr. Abigail nodded, and then waved her wand, the bubble disappearing. "Everything is fine, Lily."

Lily breathed a huge sigh of relief, as did James, who was holding Harry.

"Thank you so much, doctor." Lily thanked.

"Of course," Doctor Abigail nodded.

Smiling like idiots, Lily, James and Harry went to the floo in the waiting room and went back to Alice and Frank's, extremely surprised to see a very worried trio standing in their common room.

Alice, Frank and Dumbledore.

James looked around. "What's going on?" He asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "James, it's Sirius."

A/N 2: Hey everyone! Again, short chapter, but it's cool, right? Please don't hate me for the cliffy, I'll try to update soon. Now, I have a question that must be answered by at least one person before I post the next chapter. What should I do with Sirius? DO you want him in prison, or no? Remember, my PM isn't working, so at least one person has to review and tell me what they choose before I write the next chapter. Now, I thank all my lovely readers, but do not have much time to write their names, as I'm running late! Remember, one review! That's all! Thanks,

~luvlifelots


	5. Chapter 5: An Azkaban Trial

A/N: Hey, my lovely, beautiful readers! I am absolutely delighted to say that the ABS FAM has reached TWO reviews! Woah! Maybe more . . .? I don't know. Thank you to everyone, as there is currently SEVEN favorites and THIRTEEN followers! You all rock, and I send my love. Please enjoy chapter five, love,

~luvlifelots

 **Chapter 5: An Azkaban Trial:**

James stiffened, and Lily gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?" Lily asked, her voice cracking.

Dumbledore gestured for them to sit down, which worried them further. Then, gently, he said, "Sirius is on trial to go to Azkaban prison."

James mouth fell open, and Lily's eyes filled with tears, as she placed Harry in Neville's extra pram. Frank and Alice, who already seemed to know the news, stood stonily at the other end of the room, silent tears falling down Alice's face.

Lily stood, her red hair flying around her waist. "We have to get to the Ministry. Now!" She yelled, forcefully.

Dumbledore walked over and gently touched her arm. "Lily, dear, I'm not sure that's wise."

Lily's temper was in full blaze. "'Not wise' my arse." She retorted. "Why is Sirius on trial?"

Frank walked over, joining the small group. "Lily . . . Sirius . . . he, you don't need to know."

Lily's green eyes narrowed. "Like hell I don't. What did Sirius do?" She demanded.

Alice sighed, then placed Neville in his playpen. "Lily, Sirius is on trial for murdering Peter Pettigrew."

 **In** the court room, Lily adjusted Alice's skirt, which was a little big on her thin waist. Along with the tight black skirt, she wore a deep charcoal blouse, and a black travelling cloak with boots.

James, still slightly in shock, wore a dark charcoal suit, but anyone looking could tell that it was ill-fitting, and he didn't care. Lily had tried to talk to him, but there had been a rush to get to the Ministry, and she hadn't had time to comfort him.

Now the pair stood, arm-in-arm, in the middle of the court room, just as they took their seats, Lily's boot heels clacking on the ground.

A loud bell sounded, and the Minister for magic, an older man named Edward Heckenheifer, stood and used a quick _Sonorus_ charm on himself, magnifying his voice to a loud degree, which made Lily cringe.

"Hello," Boomed Heckenheifer, "Today, the first of November, nineteen-eighty-one, we are gathered for the trial of Sirius Black. Black has been accused of the murder of Peter Pettigrew, and we are to see if this is true.

"We will be using Veritaserum to see if Black is lying or not," Heckenheifer continued. "This trial will decide Black's fate."

With that, the Minister sat down, and Lily choked as Sirius was brought outside, dressed in black robes and his arms chained. His scraggly black hair was greasy and limp, and his face had gone gaunt in only a few hours, his eyes hollow holes in his face.

James squeezed his wife's hand. "What did they do to him?" He whispered.

Lily's voice broke as she replied. "Awful things."

Sirius was roughly shoved into an uncomfortable-looking hard plastic chair. Lily winced, looking at the miserable look on her friend's face. She saw Sirius wince as a bottle of liquid was poured into his throat, none too gently.

Heckenheifer looked down at Sirius with disdain. "Tell your story, Black." He ordered.

Sirius swallowed, his brown eyes sad. "I went to Peter's house to check on him, seeing as we've all been checking on him lately, making sure he's still safe, as he was secret keeper for Lily and James, helping them hide from Voldemort."

Many cringed when Sirius said the name of Voldemort, whom was usually referred to as 'You-Know-Who' or "He-who-Must-Not-Be-Named.'

Many heads also turned towards Lily and James. It was no secret Voldemort was after them, but no one knew the full story of what had happened. No one knew of Harry's scar, no one knew of the odd chain of events, and even thought this was a closed trial, Lily knew nothing good could, except maybe Sirius's freedom, would come out of it.

Sirius continued. "I got to Peter's apartment. He was gone. I thought maybe he was at his mom's, he does that, but then I decided to check on the Potters.

"When I got there, it was awful. The entire Cottage had crumbled to ashes, unrecognizable. There was fire and ash and everything else terrible. I couldn't find Lily, James or Harry, only rubble.

"I knew I had to find Peter. I walked through the streets of muggle London, looking for any sign of the old rat. I found him in an alley, trying to use a pay phone. I cornered him, and he admitted to working for Voldemort for the past two years, and to admitting the location of the Potters to his master.

"I took out my wand, and he started yelling the lies and profanities everyone heard on the street, claiming I had killed the Potters. He then performed a curse to try to hit me, but I deflected, and it didn't hit him, instead killing the thirteen innocent muggles present in the street. Peter then turned into a rat, his animangus form, and then ran into the sewers. That's it," Sirius concluded.

The Minister, as well as his croonies, as Lily liked to think of them, looked highly suspicious. They gathered into a huddle as Lily and James squeezed each other's hands, praying for Sirius's freedom.

Eventually, after what seemed to be an eternity, the Minister turned towards the crowd, and Lily sucked in a breath, fearful.

"The members of the Ministry, as well as myself, have decided, that, under the effects of the Veritaserum, Black is, in fact, telling the truth." Minister Heckenheifer explained. "We have decided that he can go free."

Lily leapt up and threw herself into James's arms, as he held her. Everything would be okay, Lily thought. Everything.

Everything.

A/N 2: Short, I know, but I wanted to have it be done for tonight, as I had one review asking mm to update. I have a question for y'all. Do you want the Dursleys in this story? I'm trying to decide, and I would like your guys' opinions. I have a goal, though. Maybe, pretty please, could we have our review goal for this chapter be FIVE? That's only three more, I swear. I will still post if we don't reach it, but pretty please? I really am hoping for that to happen, guys. (Wink, wink.) Anyways, huge thanks, as always, to the ABS FAM,

 **Takoda40**

 **ANightingaleSanginBerkley**

 **Kaykay25**

 **ChelleLovesHP**

 **Michellemrandall**

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 **ShiaPotter**

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 **Eremak**

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 **Cutegirl1000322000**

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 **Lule de Zodiak**

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 **ChicoSwims81**

Alright everyone, that's it for today. I'll try to update tomorrow, so FIVE reviews, if we can. Anyways, love you all, and what do you think of the Dursleys? Alrighty, love y'all,

~luvlifelots


	6. Chapter 6: The Big Move

A/N: Well, hello! Fancy seeing you here! Sorry, I've been hanging around my guy friends too much. Ha! Alrighty, so we have reached 14 follows, and are still holding at 7 favorites. I know our review goal was 5. But we're at 3, which isn't bad. Maybe, maybe, 5? I'm not sure how or when I'm going to integrate the Dursleys, because no one told me if they want them or not! Do ya, or no? Anyways, on to chapter 6

~luvlifelots

 **Chapter 6: The Big Move:**

The Potters were rejoicing in the courtroom, making everyone think them mad. When almost everyone trickled slowly outside, a member of the Ministry moved, cautiously, to unchain Sirius, and when he was free, Lily and James ran at him with huge hugs.

He grinned, as if he had not just been through a trial. His face was still gaunt and hollow, but joy in it was evident. He already looked better, Lily noticed.

"Thanks for being here, Prongs, Lil-Bils." Sirius thanked his friends.

Lily hugged him again. "I can't believe you were even on trial. And for _murder_."

Sirius nodded. "Pettigrew." He stated. His fists clenched ad he gritted his teeth. His dark eyes became misty and slightly scary. Lily grabbed his hand. "Sirius, please, calm down. There's nothing you can do." She pleaded in a gentle voice.

Sirius heeded her instructions, nodding. "Prongs, I heard a little about the attack that Voldemort planned. You two almost died, but they're calling Harry 'the boy who lived.' I don't get it."

James shook his head. "Harry had a killing curse thrown directly at him." James choked a little. "That's why they call him that."

Lily grasped his hand, and said, "We're so sorry, Sirius."

Sirius shook his head. "No, you can't be. I'm sorry. I convinced you to use Peter as secret keeper, and he nearly got you two killed. I'm so sorry."

Then the trio heard a voice behind them. "I am too, to all of you."

All three turned to see Remus, his brown hair tousled and his golden eyes dull. "I'm so sorry," Remus repeated. "Padfoot, I didn't hear about your trial, and I missed it, but hoped to find you here. And Lily and Prongs, how do I even say this?

"I almost got you killed. I forgot to check on Peter, and then . . . you know the rest. I'm so sorry." Remus apologized.

James shook his head. "Moony, Padfoot, the past is the past, Lily and I, and Harry, are fine, so let's get you two to a better place."

Both nodded, and Lily and James led the way out of the courtroom.

 **Alice** and Frank were delighted to take Sirius and Remus, as well as the Potters, in. They gave them each a room, and fed Sirius until his face was no longer hollow.

They were all having a grand time. Remus and Sirius were on the floor, playing with Harry and Neville, and Lily and James were watching while Alice and Frank read books at a small table in the common room.

Two minutes of peace, and then the crack of apparation sounded through the air. All six adults turned to the open entrance to the common room, where Dumbledore stood, looking better than he had before.

"Hello, everyone. Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Alice and Frank, as well as young Neville and Harry. I am here to make a suggestion." He explained, his blue eyes twinkling.

Everyone nodded. "Alright," Dumbledore continued. "I suggest that all six of you, as well as Neville and Harry, move into Potter Manor."

Lily was confused. Potter Manor? "Why?" She asked.

"Because it's safest, at the moment." Dumbledore responded. "It has proper wards around it, and news of where you and James are has reached the Death Eaters."

Lily's eyes widened, and she picked Harry up off of the floor. "Let's go." She said.

 **Every** single one of Lily and James's things had been destroyed in the fire, so it didn't take long for them to gather their things, and Sirius had nothing, as his home had been burnt as part of punishment for being accused. Remus had to grab a few things from his apartment, and Alice and Frank had to gather nearly their entire house.

Deciding to use the muggle way, Alice and Lily kneeled on the ground and packed things into boxes labeled _Kitchen, Common Room, Neville, Bedroom,_ and all different other labels.

Lily, without thinking, gently touched her stomach while putting a plate into a box of Styrofoam. Alice saw, and gasped.

"Lily!" She nearly yelled.

Lily pressed a finger to her lips. "Alice, shh."

Alice nodded, her ice blue eyes wide. "Are you?" She whispered, gesturing to Lily's flat stomach.

Blushing, Lily nodded. "Yeah, six weeks."

Alice squealed and pulled her best friend into a huge hug. "Congratulations, Lily."

Lily grinned. "Thanks, Ice. I have a question for you."

Alice nodded. "What is it?"

Lily took a deep breath, then said it. "Will you be the Godmother to this baby?"

Alice's jaw dropped, and she stiffened, before pulling Lily into a second tight hug. "Of course! Lily, I'm honoured."

Lily sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

Alice cocked her head. "Who's the Godfather?"

Blushing, Lily answered, "Severus."

"Snape?" Alice asked, disbelieving.

Lily nodded. "The one and only."

Alice continued packing as she talked. "Why him?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm close to him, and we have a funny bond. It feels . . . right."

Alice's blonde eyebrows rose. "Whatever you say."

Both girls laughed, and continued chatting absentmindedly as they packed.

 **Within** an hour, everyone was ready to go, and Alice and Lily kept sneaking glances at each other. No one noticed, though.

Once at Potter Manor, Lily and James assigned each person a room, and then collapsed into bed themselves, exhausted from the whole day.

A/N 2: Short, I know that. But, I'm away for the weekend and wanted to get something to everyone. Two questions. Dursleys and PLEASE 5 reviews. Thanks, as always, to the ABS FAM:

 **Takoda40**

 **ANightingaleSanginBerkley**

 **Kaykay25**

 **ChelleLovesHP**

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Alright everyone, I'm calling it a night. 5 reviews, if we can. Love you all,

~luvlifelots


	7. Chapter 7: Childhoos 3-5

A/N: Just before I begin chapter 7, I would like to quickly address a few reviews:

 **Guest:** Thank you, that means a lot. I'm not sure why it hasn't been uploading your reviews, but I'm glad that I read it.

 **Vukk:** Though you may not read this, I am going to tell you that this is my first FF story. I apologize if you are not enjoying it, but you are not in any way, shape or form compelled to read it. I do appreciate the review, it's just that yes, it may be a little bit fast (or slow, I couldn't tell what you were implying,) but according to what I know, Sirius 'killed' Peter nearly immediately after what happened to the Potters. Yes, using magic, Sirius could be beaten badly, even in a short amount of time. I apologize that I didn't know whom the Minister was, but I made up a name because it was my only option at the time. I have stated repeatedly that this will not be much of anything like the book, very loosely following the storyline, and I'm not sure why you felt the need to write a review with harsh words, stating at the end that it's "not what you like" while I'm not compelling you to read this. That's all.

Now, onto chapter seven! Enjoy!

~luvlifelots

 **Chapter 7: Childhood 3-5:**

Three years later, on July thirtieth, 1983, James, Lily, Frank, Alice, Remus, Sirius, Harry and Neville were gathered around Potter Manor's kitchen table to celebrate Harry and Neville's third birthday, the day of Neville's birthday, only a day before Harry's.

The three years had almost flown by. Now, Harry's little sister, Jessamine Lily Potter, had just turned one, as she had been born on the third of July, to the Potters delight.

Neville had a younger brother, or he would, in about two months, as Alice was seven months pregnant. She and Frank were delighted, as were Lily and James.

Lily added a few more sprinkles to the cake and placed the proper candles in it. The left half had been designed how Neville wanted it, random plants made with icing spurting from every blank area, as Neville had quickly shown an interest in herbs and plants.

Harry, however, clearly took after James, as he had asked for his half, the right half, of the cake to be designed as Quidditch pitch, which had taken Lily endless hours to create, using blues, whites, grays, and many other colors, with gold, black, and red dots, to represent the Quidditch balls.

She lit the candles using her wand, and then brought the cake into the kitchen, looking around at the people she liked to call family. Alice was sitting, chatting with Sirius, a hand on her large stomach. Remus was trying to keep Harry and Neville from using James's wand to transfigure the party hats (the boys had already been taught a lot of magic, as Lily and Alice had insisted,) and Frank was talking to James, whom had Jessamine cradled in his arm. She already looked much like Lily, with bright red hair and bright green, almond-shaped eyes.

Everyone turned when Lily entered, and she grinned when both Neville and Harry rushed at her, scrambling to get a look at the cake she had purposefully kept secret from them. She shooed them away playfully and placed the cake on the table, the rest of the adults _oohing_ and _ahhing_ over the gorgeous designs.

She saw Sirius and Frank snapping pictures, just before she picked up a large knife and began cutting the cake. Like everything else, she could've done it with a spell, but after Neville, Harry, and Jessamine, she and Alice had learned they preferred to do some things the muggle way.

As she doled out the cake, she had to literally stop the boys from having a contest to see who could throw the cake farthest. She dropped her arm in front of them as they sneakily made their way to the door, unaware each adult in the room was watching them, snickering.

"I don't think so, boys." Lily chastised, leading them back to the table.

Harry pouted, the spitting image of James. "Mummy, I wanna throw cake with Neville." He whined.

Lily shook her head. "No, Harry."

Harry huffed, then pointed to his little sister, sleeping in James's arms. "Then Jessie have cake."

Lily shook her head again, amused.

Harry crossed his little arms. "Mummy, Jessie wants cake." He insisted.

Lily gave him a stern look, and he huffed once more, then picked up a piece of cake with his tiny hand and shoved it into his mouth, causing Lily to burst out laughing.

 **Christmas** the next year was more than interesting. By then, Gregor Frank Longbottom was one year and three months old, Jessamine was two and a half, and the boys were finally old enough to partly understand what Christmas meant.

When Lily woke up that morning to Jessamine's cries, she quietly thanked the fact that she and James had sectioned off each bedroom wing, each big enough to be a small apartment of bedrooms, to each of their friends. Lily and James, as well as Harry and Jess, had the master wing, while the Longbottoms had a wing, Sirius had a wing, and Remus had a wing, plus six other unused wings.

Lily stepped into her daughter's room, then bent down to pick up Jess, smiling softly as the baby's cries died to whimpers, just from being in her mother's arms. It made Lily grin every day, just to see her children interacting.

She sat in the white rocking chair and slowly oved back and forth. "Baby girl, let me tell you a story." She grinned, knowing the story she would tell. "Once upon a time, there was a boy named James, and he loved a girl named Lily with all his heart, but she wouldn't give him the time of day, because she thought him a rude, inconsiderate, egotistical prat of a person.

"Finally, one day, Lily gave in. She told James that _one_ date was all he was getting from her. But, halfway through that date, Lily realized she might actually like James . . . a lot."

Caught up in the memory, Lily didn't notice when James slowly walked into the nursery, carrying a drowsy-looking Harry, then sat on the ground, and continued the story.

"So, James tried all he could to have Lily go on one more date with him, but she was avoiding him. For a whole week, she stayed away, and then one day, while James was all alone in the Hogwarts owlery at night, Lily came in and threw her arms around him.

"Lily had just been told that her parents had been killed by a terrible, terrible man and his followers. Her sister made it out okay, but Grandma and Grandpa Evans died." James gestured for Lily to continue the story for their children.

She did. "And then, Lily and James made up, only to find out a little later that James parents, Charlus and Dorea, had also died at the hands of this man and his followers.

"This brought Lily and James closer than ever. They were always around each other, and as soon as they were out of school they got married and enrolled in auror training." Lily motioned to James.

He continued, grinning. "But then, Lily had to drop out of being an auror for a while, because she and James were expecting to have a baby, who turned out to be this wonderful little boy here, Harry James Potter."

Lily smiled, looking at her son and daughter. "And then, almost two years later, Jessamine Lily Potter was born and Lily and James were delighted. Now, they live with their best friends, Uncle Sirius, Uncle Remus, Uncle Frank, and Auntie Alice." Lily concluded, the grin spread wide on her face.

Both Lily and James, grinning like idiots, sat there and enjoyed the moment with their children, as well as each other.

It was twenty minutes before they simultaneously stood, their kids babbling excitedly, Harry actually talking and Jessie babbling in non-understandable baby language.

The four of them went downstairs, to find the huge tree filled below with dozens of presents. Alice, Frank, Neville and Gregor were already down there, Neville squirming at the wait.

It only took another two minutes for Remus to come down, and then Sirius, and then the kids tore into the many, many, _many_ presents.

 **One** year later, when Harry and Neville were four, on a warm September day, Lily and Alice took the boys to a muggle playground, not far from the secluded area of Potter Manor.

Though they had a playground in their backyard at the Manor, it was nice for both Alice and Lily, as well as the boys, to get out farther and meet other children.

Alice adjusted Gregor in her arms. He was now two, with Jessamine being three. It was a slightly windy day, so, as Alice talked, Lily adjusted Jessamine's jacket and let her go play, keeping a close eye on all three children.

"This is a nice park." Alice said, "Maybe you guys could add another slide to the one at the Manor."

Lily nodded absentmindedly. Something was off, she could feel it. She couldn't place her finger on the odd thing, though, not until she turned around, to see a woman holding a chubby little blonde boy, a woman with a very long neck, and chin-length blonde hair, and a woman whom Lily, after almost five years, could never forget.

Her sister, Petunia Dursley.

A/N 2: Hey guys. SO I wanted to get one more chapter out before I leave for a few days. Sorry about the cliffy, haha! Anyways, we have beaten our review goal, with SIX reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. We are now at NINETEEN follows, with ELEVEN favorites. Oh, I love you all, especially the ABS FAM:

 **Takoda40**

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I seriously adore you all. Now, have a good next few days, and please enjoy this chapter, which is slightly longer than usual. Thanks guys,

~luvlifelots


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